[Primary radiotherapy of endometrial carcinoma]

From 1987 to 1993 21 patients with inoperable endometrial carcinoma of all stages received primary radiation therapy. Patients were treated either with combined external beam radiation (EBRT) and afterloading therapy (AL) or AL alone. AL was delivered in high dose rate (HDR) mode. According to tumor stage 3 to 6 times 7 or 10 Gy were applied to line A, one session per week. Due to changing dose prescriptions total doses for EBRT ranged from 45 to 50.4 Gy. 65% of patients died until the end of follow-up (range 6 to 66 months). 23% died due to progressing tumor or therapeutic sequelae (hemorrhagic colitis), 42% died from intercurrent disease. Only 6 patients are alive, one of them with tumor. After a complete course of radiation therapy there was no in-field relapse. One patient irradiated with curative intention developed paraaortal lymph node metastases. During the observation time of our study most patients died of no tumor related reasons. Primary radiation therapy does effectively control endometrial carcinoma. However, old age, reduced general condition and concomitant disease compromise survival rates after radiation therapy alone.